It Was Long Enough to Last Forever
by alabastor
Summary: Remus Lupin was never as lucky with the ladies as James and Sirius. What no one knows is that he always harbored a secret love for one of his best, non-Marauder friends. Marauder Era, RLOC
1. Prologue

The first of September could not have come soon enough for Remus Lupin. He had been anticipating this day since he had received his letter in July offering him a place at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. Due to his condition he was unsure about whether he would be allowed to attend, and his grandmother's pitying comments about "Hogwarts not being able to accommodate a werewolf" were not helpful.

Despite all of his uncertainties Remus arrived at Kings Cross Station about half an hour before the Hogwarts Express was set to depart. He held his grandmother's hand tightly as they pushed through the crowd. His trunk was tightly packed with new robes, school books, a shiny new cauldron and potions ingredients, as well as numerous quills and parchment rolls. His wand he kept in his inside jacket pocket, being unable to part with his new companion for the length of the journey to the train station. Remus was so excited he walked with a bounce in his step and his eyes shined with wonder as he looked around at the muggles in the train station.

"Are we almost there?" he asked impatiently, trying to see through the dense crowd. His grandmother chuckled.

"Patience, child! We'll be at the platform soon, don't you worry," she said, squeezing his hand tightly. He smiled up at her as they passed platforms 7 and 8. He felt his stomach clench as they approached the barrier between platforms 9 and 10, and looked up at his grandmother.

"Now you remember what I told you?" she asked looking down at him. He nodded.

"Just keep walking straight at the barrier. And don't stop. And don't act like you're doing anything out of the ordinary," he repeated eagerly. She nodded and together they faced the barrier. As they took their first steps he could feel his stomach clench. When they began to pick up speed a grin spread from ear to ear; and when they finally reached the barrier and passed through, arriving before the scarlet Hogwarts Express he burst out laughing. Steam billowed from the engine and bathed the platform in a swirling gray haze. Remus stared around in wonder at the countless students surrounded by families and having reunions with old friends. He marveled at the wooden sign painted with gold that marked Platform 9¾, especially the way it glinted in the sunlight.

"Alright love, why don't you take your things and find a compartment on the train. I'll be here waiting for you, just come and find me when everything's settled," his grandmother said encouragingly, nudging him and his trunk towards the train. He looked back at her anxiously, but took his things and made his way towards the nearest entrance to the compartments.

All of a sudden Remus wasn't so sure about going to Hogwarts. His nerves were starting to get the better of him the more people would stare. He could feel their eyes on him and was convinced every single person he encountered knew his secret.

Slowly he searched the train, and when he finally found an empty compartment he slid open the door and stowed his trunk in the overhead compartment. When his belongings were secure he sat for a moment, taking in every aspect of his surroundings. He noticed how the plush seats sank comfortably under his weight, the way the sunlight glinted through the glass window panes, and how the faint smell of paint hung in the air. Taking a deep breath he stood up gingerly and plunged into the corridor again.

"Ouch!" a young girl yelped as he trampled on her foot. He jumped back suddenly.

"I'm so, so sorry!" he exclaimed, cursing his bad luck at new meetings. The girl rubbed her toes for a moment before smiling at him.

"S'alright," she declared with a shrug. "It _was_ an accident after all." Remus grinned.

"I'm Remus Lupin," he said, offering his hand. The girl took it and flashed a genuine smile.

"My names Sadie Hawthorne," she replied. Remus shook her hand slightly and let it drop. They stood smiling at each other awkwardly for a moment before someone down the corridor called her name. She turned to wave at them, and turned back to Remus. "I've got to go say goodbye to my family. But I'm sure I'll see you around," she explained, giving a final wave and running off in the opposite direction. Remus waved and stared after her.

_She's the most beautiful girl I've ever seen,_ he thought in a love-drunk stupor. He admired her bright blue eyes, and her ebony tresses that curled gently down her back. In his mind, she was perfect.

"There you are! I was wondering where you ran off to," his grandmother scolded playfully.

"Sorry Gran," he said as she ruffled his hair.

"Right, well have you got your things all packed away?" she asked. When he nodded his head she wrapped him in a tight hug. "Alright then, have a good term. Be safe, listen to your teachers, study hard, and I'll see you for the Christmas holidays," she said, and Remus could sense the tears she was holding back.

"Love you," he muttered into her jacket. She sniffled quietly.

"I love you too, dear. She would be proud of you," she said gently. Remus squeezed her for a moment before letting go.

"See you at Christmas," he said in farewell. She nodded, and watched him board the train just as the whistle blew. She waved as the train jerked forward and gathered momentum away from the platform. Remus waved back and watched her disappear around the bend.

A few hours later Remus was sitting in his compartment reading one of his new books when the door crashed open. He looked up quickly to see two boys grinning at him.

"'Ello there!" the boy with dark, messy hair and glasses said.

"Beautiful day, eh?" the second one with shaggy black hair offered.

Remus stared in surprise at the pair of boys, not sure what he should do next.

"Err... yes, I suppose it is," he said, assuming the best option was to just go along with their charade.

"Mind if we join you?" the first boy asked, inviting himself into the compartment. "My name is James Potter. And this is Sirius Black" he added, offering his hand.

"I'm Remus. Remus Lupin," he said, shaking the boy's hand.

"So, Hogwarts. What House are you gunning for?" Sirius asked, as they both seemed to inch forward out of their seats. Remus withdrew slightly.

"Err… I guess I don't mind, as long as it's not Slytherin," he answered honestly.

"Good man!" James cried, clapping him on the shoulder.

"Knew we'd find someone in the same boat as us," Sirius said, nudging James' arm.

Just then all three boys' heads turned to notice two girls walking down the corridor. One was the pretty girl Remus had met earlier, Sadie. The other girl had fiery red hair and brilliant green eyes. She was laughing merrily at something Sadie had said. Just as they passed Sadie looked in and smiled brightly, offering a wave at Remus. Remus smirked and waved back. James and Sirius stared at him.

"Oy, who's the lass?" Sirius asked in surprise.

"The girl with dark hair is Sadie, I met her earlier. I don't know who the red-head is though," Remus said frankly. James was still staring out to the corridor.

"I'd kill to be in her House," he said longingly. Sirius and Remus stared at James and burst out laughing.

"Come on now, it's not like either of you weren't thinking the same thing!" he yelled over their howls.

Hours later all three boys had changed into their school robes, and were in the middle of an intense game of Exploding Snap when the train began to lose momentum, signaling the arrival at Hogsmeade Station. Remus, Sirius and James put the cards away and attempted to clean up the mess they made of candy wrappers. When the train finally swayed to a stop they were ushered onto the platform by the Prefects and were instructed to follow a huge mass of a man named Hagrid to a collection of small wooden boats at the edge of the lake. When everyone was packed into the boats they pushed off from the shoreline on their own, sliding easily through the flat water.

Remus was inexpressibly happy. Never before in his life had he made friends as quickly and easily as he had with James and Sirius. It was true they were not aware of his affliction, but as Remus had just met them he wasn't sure how trustworthy they were, and didn't feel the need to expose himself until he was sure.

After several moments the boats turned a corner and there was a wave of gasps and exclamations as Hogwarts came into view. The dark outline of the turrets and towers was vaguely distinguishable against the night sky, but lights from the windows dotted its silhouette. Remus felt a great surge of pride spread through his chest as he gazed upon his new school and home. After so many years of wondering and worrying, he was finally a student.

When the boats finally bumped the shore Hagrid's voice boomed across the crowd, "Alrigh' everyone, listen up! Yer all ter follow me up to the castle, and Professor McGonagall will take you inside for yer sortin'." All the students climbed out of their boats and followed Hagrid in a single line up the rough pathway to the castle.

A little while later the group of first-years was standing at the front of the Great Hall, waiting impatiently to be sorted.

"Now, when I call your name you will come forward, I will place the Sorting Hat on your head, and you will be sorted into one of our four Houses," Professor McGonagall instructed, taking out a long roll of parchment.

"See that bloke in the middle of the table?" James asked Remus, gesturing towards an elderly man with a long, graying beard. "That's Albus Dumbledore. He was just appointed as the new Headmaster of Hogwarts last year. Everyone says he's a genius, but my dad thinks he may be a bit wonky," James explained with a smirk. Remus laughed quietly, and pretended to pay attention to the sorting.

"There's your girl, mate," Remus said, nudging James in the ribs when "Evans, Lily!" was called to be sorted. She tugged slightly on her red plait as she approached the stool and sat nervously. When the Hat was placed on her head it slipped over her eyes and was silent for a moment before shouting "Gryffindor!" The table along the far wall erupted in cheers and a huge smile spread across Lily's face as she joined her new House table, taking a seat across from Sirius. James clapped excitedly.

"That means we'll most likely be in the same House! All the Potters have been in Gryffindor," he said confidently. The two boys bickered about what Houses they may be in for a few more moments until Remus noticed that Sadie was approaching the stool. He was instantly silent and watched as James smirked at him. After several long moments Sadie joined the Gryffindor table, taking her place next to Lily and smiling brightly.

"That means you have to be in Gryffindor too," James announced matter-of-factly.

"What do you mean?" Remus asked in surprise.

"Oh come off it! You like her, anyone can tell. So you have to be in her House, or you won't get a chance with her," James reasoned. Remus' cheeks turned bright red.

The rest of the sorting went as expected, with Remus and James joining Sirius at the Gryffindor table. When the feast was over and after Dumbledore said his words of wisdom, the first-years were led by their Prefects to their dormitories. James, Sirius and Remus joined a quiet boy named Peter Pettigrew in the first-year boys' dorm. They found their belongings, quickly changed, and flopped into bed. All were excited to finally be at Hogwarts and to be starting their journey onto becoming fully fledged wizards.

As he rolled onto his side, Remus couldn't help but think of the dark-haired beauty he met on the train, and wondered longingly whether she could ever love a werewolf.


	2. Chapter 1

"Time to rise and shine, dear Moony!" a rowdy seventeen year old yelled, pouncing on his sleeping friend. Remus groaned and shoved the boy off his bed. For the past six years he had shared a dormitory with his three best friends and had become accustomed to these abrupt wake-up calls.

"Shove off, Padfoot," he muttered, covering his head with his blankets.

"Oh come on! The sun is shining, the birds are singing, and I'm a free man! We have all year to hunt the ladies before its time to buckle down and join the real world!" Sirius exclaimed giddily.

"Since when do you plan to 'buckle down'?" James asked sarcastically, rubbing the sleep from his eyes and putting on his glasses. Sirius smirked and threw a pillow at his partner-in-crime.

"Come on, Wormtail! Out of bed, time for school!" Sirius yelled, shaking Peter's four-poster bed. Peter muttered something under his breath but got up none-the-less.

The four of them showered and dressed in their robes before heading down to the Great Hall for breakfast. On the walk down they joked and teased each other carelessly, hardly noticing the effect they had on the student body. They were the Marauders, the four most popular mischief makers at Hogwarts, and well-known ladies' men. Whenever any of them decided a girl was good enough to date the news spread like wildfire, and the entire school was alerted if a date or steady girlfriend was in the picture.

As they trekked the familiar journey to their breakfast, they passed many scornful stares and longing sighs. And when they entered the Great Hall there was an excited buzzing from table to table. While James was still single and eligible (despite discontinuing his search for a girlfriend upon realizing the perfection of Lily Evans), and Peter and Remus were continuously available, it was the news of Sirius' very public breakup with his latest fling that sparked the gossip. He flashed his most winning smile in the direction of every girl he passed as he and his friends took their seats at the Gryffindor table.

"It's a new world, boys," Sirius said grinning, filling his plate with French toast, eggs, and bacon. Peter grinned and shook his head in a he'll-never-learn sort of way. James and Remus rolled their eyes and filled their own plates.

They ate in silence, paying little attention to anything that wasn't on the table in front of them until Lily and Sadie joined them.

"Good morning boys," Sadie said brightly, sitting across from the group. Remus was shaken out of his early morning stupor.

"Good morning Sadie. Hello Lily," he said, nodding to each.

"Good morning Remus, good morning Peter. Potter, Black," she added, giving them each a curt nod.

James gulped down a large swig of juice before saying, "Lovely morning, isn't it Evans?" She rolled her eyes and filled her plate.

"Have the schedules been given out yet?" Sadie asked, spreading jam on her toast.

"Not yet. I suppose McGonagall is going to wait until just before the bell rings, as per usual," Remus said, grinning. Sadie smiled back and went about eating her breakfast. Remus stealthily stole glances of her. He had spent the last six years admiring her from afar, and had inconveniently put himself in the friend zone. This year, he pledged, would be different, and he would finally admit how he felt. His only obstacle however had just entered the Hall and taken his seat next to her, wrapping his arm around her waist and kissing her neck.

"Hm, good morning," she said, swallowing the last bite she had taken and giving him a quick kiss.

"Good morning," Will Anderson responded, filling a plate. Will was a sixth year Gryffindor, and had started dating Sadie at the end of the previous year. Remus thought he was polite enough, but there was something about him that made him suspicious. And of course he was dating the girl of Remus' dreams.

Not long after they had all finished McGonagall began to make her way down the table distributing their personalized schedules. When Sadie had received hers she kissed Will and flashed a friendly smile at Remus.

"Have a good first day!" her voice rang out as she headed towards the Entrance Hall with Lily. Remus, Sirius, James and Peter all gathered their bags and filed out of the Hall.

"I'll see you gents later," Will said cheerfully as they departed. Remus rolled his eyes, but was caught by James.

"Give the bloke a break, he's Sadie's boyfriend," James reasoned, nudging Remus in the ribs.

"I know, but there's just something about him that sets me off," Remus admitted.

"Oh, and the fact that he's dating your best friend and biggest crush isn't a tip off as to what that something is?" James teased. Remus grunted and headed towards the common room.

"Where're you off to?" Sirius yelled after him.

"Free period, my good man," Remus called over his shoulder, and chuckled as he heard Sirius curse at his back.

Remus marveled at his good luck. The first period of the day was his to enjoy how he wished, and without any assignments he intended to do some work on the map he and his fellow Marauders were developing.

As he entered the common room of Gryffindor Tower he noticed it was mostly empty except for a snogging couple in the corner. As the portrait swung shut they detached heads, and Remus felt anger rush through his body. Will was tangled up with an unnamed girl Remus recognized as a fourth year. He shot them one meaningful, disgusted look before heading up to his dorm. He could hear Will clambering after him, begging him not to tell Sadie but he ignored the younger boy, slamming the door in his face.

That night after dinner Remus told James what he had witnessed.

"Well you're going to tell her, aren't you?" James asked heatedly. Over the years he had developed a close friendship with Sadie through Remus and also felt obliged to protect her. Remus put his head in his hands.

"I don't know. I know I should, and she most definitely deserves to know, but I've been telling her from the start that he's a wanker and she's getting tired of hearing it," Remus said miserably.

"Who's a wanker?" Lily asked, making the two of them jump. "Sorry, Potter I was asked to give you this by McGonagall," she said handing him a small roll of parchment, explaining her appearance. James took it and set it aside without bothering to read it.

"Thanks," he muttered quietly, resting his elbows on the table.

"Come on now, what's that look for?" she asked Remus, taking the empty seat. A smile escaped him; Lily was always good at reading his expressions.

"Just trying to decide whether or not I should tell Sadie about Will's latest fuck up," Remus said shrugging. Lily rolled her eyes.

"Oh come now, I'm sure it's not that bad. What did he do?" she asked expectantly, clearly used to his antics about what a bad guy Will was for Sadie.

"Nothing big, you know. Remus only caught him snogging a fourth year this morning," James explained with an attitude that suggested there was no issue. Lily looked back and forth between the two. When Remus just looked at her without saying anything she understood it wasn't a prank. Without another word she stood up, crossed the common room and took Sadie by the arm, leading her up to the girls' dorms.

"What do you think they do up there?" Sirius asked having just joined them. Remus looked around at him; he was staring after Lily and Sadie up the staircase to the girls' dorms.

"What do you mean?" he asked suspiciously.

"I often think they decide to have pillow fights in their undergarments…" Sirius fantasized, his eyes glossing over. James' laughter could be heard over the chatter that filled the room.

"Is that really all you think about?" Remus asked, amazed.

Suddenly the entire room went quiet as a loud _bang_ echoed through the tower. Sadie stomped down the stairs and stood at the doorway, searching through the faces in the room, her eyes blazing. When she found what she was looking for she marched straight up to him and crossed her arms forcefully over her chest.

"What's the matter babe?" Will asked sincerely, standing up and rubbing her arms.

"Don't you 'babe' me!" she screamed indignantly, stepping away from his touch. He jumped back slightly and stared at her in confusion. "Is it true?" she added.

"Is what true?" he asked naively. Remus rolled his eyes. _He sure is good at playing the innocent,_ he thought sarcastically.

"Oh don't play dumb. You know what I'm talking about," Sadie snapped, her voice venomous. Will just stared. "Let me give you a hint. _It_ wears a skirt, and you were caught snogging _it_ this morning!" Her expression changed from anger to fury as the color drained from his face. "I think it goes without saying what this means," she concluded, giving him one last lethal look and storming from the room.

Will was left standing awkwardly in the middle of the crowd, under everyone's shocked stares. He flinched slightly when the portrait of the fat lady slammed shut behind his newest ex-girlfriend. Sirius began clapping and soon everyone joined in, forcing Will to slink, wounded, to his own dormitory.

Lily, who had snuck down the stairs behind Sadie, headed for the portrait hole, squeezing Remus' shoulder as she passed. Sirius and Peter decided that a game of Exploding Snap was necessary to distract everyone and went to get their cards.

"Well, mate. She's single again," James said optimistically, clapping Remus on the shoulder. Remus laughed sarcastically and put his head down on the table. It looked like his only legitimate obstacle to Sadie was gone.


	3. Chapter 2

Sadie knew she was being ridiculous, and she hardly needed Lily's frequent telling-offs. She had mostly avoided everyone in the castle, darting between classes, spending as little time as possible in the Great Hall for meals, and hiding away in a secluded corner of the library at night. Lily and Madame Pince had received the most interaction from her, and although she did feel guilty about leaving Remus in the dark, this was how she coped with heartbreak.

"You're not being fair to him!" Lily insisted one night while Sadie was bent over an essay. Sadie exhaled, frustrated while Lily continued. "He feels terrible, and you're not helping to make him feel any better by avoiding him. I know you're worried about what he'll say but he's your best friend. You should give him a little more credit." Sadie kept her head bent low over her work while Lily lectured, and when she gave no answer Lily sighed. "Alright, I'll leave you to it then. Just remember to be fair," Lily advised in a gentle voice, placing a hand on Sadie's shoulder and squeezing it slightly.

Sadie listened to her friend's footsteps die away. She sighed and set her quill down, resting her ink-stained fingers on her forehead. She thought for a moment before pulling an empty sheet of parchment towards her and wrote a short note. She then sealed it and used her wand to send it out the window and into the night. If she knew him half as well as she believed he would be where she expected. She only hoped he would come.

Twenty minutes later she had rolled her sleeves up to her elbows in frustration, tied her hair back only to take it down again, and loosened her tie all out of nervousness, when someone cleared their throat behind her. She whipped her head around and felt her stomach lurch. Remus silently took the seat next to her and folded his hands over the table.

Sadie sat bolt upright, chewing her bottom lip and staring ahead. Remus would glance over at her every few moments, patiently waiting for her to make the first move. He knew Sadie, better than she realized, and therefore knew exactly how she would act. It also helped that they had been in this position before.

After several long, silent, awkward moments Sadie gently laid her head on his shoulder. He immediately pulled her chair closer and wrapped his arms around her, letting her hug his stomach tightly. As she settled against him her tears began to fall.

She cried for a while and they sat in silence until with one long, shaky breath Sadie announced that her tears had ceased. Remus unwrapped his arms from her frame and turned to her, taking her hands and trying to look into her down-turned face.

"I'm sorry about what happened. But why would you avoid everyone Sadie? Most of all, me?" he asked, clearly hurt. Sadie whimpered.

"Remus I love you. You're like a brother to me," Sadie began, and Remus felt his stomach twist. "But you have to understand where I'm coming from. I just broke up with my boyfriend…a boy I thought was trustworthy and who cared about me. It feels terrible to be lied to like that. The last thing I wanted was to put myself on display by being out in the castle, especially after the scene I caused," she explained quietly, not meeting his eyes.

"That still doesn't explain why you avoided me," he pointed out and she nodded slightly.

"I'm sorry Remus, I really am. I don't know what else to say," she said, barely audible. Remus dropped her hands and sighed.

"Sadie you realize you always do this, don't you? You always end up breaking up with whatever guy you are dating at the time, and then you shut yourself away, and it seems like you take extra measures to make sure I'm left in the dark," he said, finally voicing his frustrations. Sadie stared up at him in disbelief.

"Oh, I'm sorry it's such a problem and an inconvenience for _you_," she shot sarcastically, turning away from him and crossing her arms.

"It is Sadie, I love you!" he said forcefully. She turned and stared at him and both were silent for a moment. "As a friend, of course," he added quietly. "And it kills me to see you like this, especially if I can't help you, and you won't let me."

"Like I said, I'm sorry," she said, in a tone that suggested the conversation were over. "If it'll help, I'll try not to date any more jerks," she added with playful sarcasm.

"Yes, that would help, actually. You sure know how to pick them," Remus said. Although he meant it to be a joke, it didn't come out that way and Sadie's face betrayed how much it really hurt to hear. Without another word she grabbed her wand and walked away.

"Sadie, wait!" Remus called as she flicked her wand. Her books, notes and other belongings gathered themselves together in her bag and followed her out.

Sadie caught her bag as she marched down the hall in the direction of Gryffindor Tower. She hugged them to her chest as fresh tears began to well in her eyes, and when she reached the portrait of the Fat Lady the password was requested, but the door swung open before it was given. Sadie thanked the portrait and navigated through the crowd in the common room to her empty dorm. She did one quick look to make sure no one was there and collapsed on her bed, hugging a pillow and crying freely.

Lily tiptoed into the room and gently sat down beside her, rubbing her back.

"I don't want to talk about it," Sadie said into her pillow.

"I wasn't even going to ask," Lily assured softly.

The next morning Sadie woke up early as usual, showered and got dressed, and walked down to the Great Hall. She sat down with a group of her friends and began chatting with them normally, eating her breakfast and laughing at their jokes. But when the Marauders walked in and the other girls began their blatant swooning, Sadie turned away. When they strutted past she ignored them when she would have normally greeted them with a "good morning". Remus only glanced at her longingly, and James patted him on the shoulder.

"Oh, that Sirius Black is exceptionally good-looking," her one friend Melanie pointed out, glancing down the table at his head of shaggy black hair. The other girls twittered in agreement.

"I prefer Remus Lupin's rugged looks," another girl Beth said, shooting him a seductive glance. "Sadie, you're friends with him aren't you? Maybe you can introduce me?" Sadie nearly choked on her juice.

"I'm not sure he's your type," Sadie said shortly, pulling the jam jar towards her and spreading the preserves over her toast.

"Of course he's my type! He's a guy, and he's hot. I mean, who doesn't want someone who's tall, handsome and sensitive? And those scars make him even more dashing," Beth insisted, leaning forward in her seat and arching her back, hoping he would look her way. Sadie stared at her, slowly chewing her breakfast.

"I've got to get to class," she said suddenly, wiping her hands on her napkin and picking up her bag.

Sadie found Lily a little way down the table with her nose in a book, and together they left the hall. But they didn't notice a shaggy haired Marauder leave the table as they did, nor did they notice when he followed them out.

"Ahoy ladies!" someone called behind them as they walked through the corridor to their first class. They both stopped and turned to face Sirius Black.

"What do you want, Black?" Lily asked with a sigh as he caught up with them.

"Whoa, easy on the hostility Evans. I actually wanted to have a quick word with Sadie," he said, looking at her with a smile. If Sadie had been any other girl she would have melted on the spot, however she grew up around Sirius and knew better than to fall for his games.

"You go ahead Lily, I'll catch up in a minute," she said encouragingly. Lily appraised her, but left her alone with the infamous flirt. When she was gone Sadie asked, "What is it, Black? I haven't got all day."

"I just wanted to see how you were doing. I know you took the break-up pretty hard, and I was just worried about you," he said sweetly, resting his arm against the wall and leaning towards her. Sadie sighed.

"Thank you for the concern, but I'm fine," she assured him, rolling her eyes and folding her arms across her chest.

"Alright," he said, not in the least bit phased by her uninterested attitude. "Just remember, if you need anything you can always call on me," he said, running a finger under her chin. She stepped out of his reach and smirked.

"Oh, thank you so much Sirius. Whatever will I do without you?" she asked sarcastically. Before he was able to work anymore of his "magic" she turned on her heel and hurried to catch up with Lily. He watched her walk down the hallway for a moment before returning to the Great Hall, devising a story to tell the others.

_Remus will never forgive me, _he thought guiltily. _However, he has had seven years. It's someone else's turn to make a move,_ he justified, walking with a swagger through the sea of students enjoying their breakfast.

Sadie caught up with Lily and they walked silently to the dungeon for double Potions with Professor Slughorn.

"Ah, ladies! Had a good morning, I hope?" he asked brightly as they entered the classroom.

"Oh yes, of course Professor Slughorn. I hope you slept well," Lily answered brightly.

"Oh fine, fine of course. Now I hope you both will delight me with your presence at a small dinner party Friday evening. Just the Slug Club gang, you know. I think the editor for the Daily Prophet and maybe even the Head Healer at St. Mungo's will be dropping in for a drink of two, and I'm sure they wouldn't mind if you wanted to pick their brain about life outside of Hogwarts," Slughorn said genially.

"Of course we'll be there Professor," Sadie said happily. "I'll pencil you in right this moment."

They took their usual seats at the back of the classroom near the ingredients cabinet and began to set up their cauldrons.

"So what did Black want?" Lily asked, pulling her scales out of her bag.

"I'm not entirely sure, but I think he offered me that fickle thing known as 'friendship'," Sadie said jokingly.

"No! You mean he knows what that is?" Lily asked, playing along.

"It would seem so," Sadie said, laughing now.

The rest of the class filed in, and the Marauders took the remaining tables at the back of the classroom. Peter and Remus usually took the table next to Sadie and Lily, however due to recent events it was now occupied by Sirius and James.

"Alright everyone, quiet down. Today we will be making…"

The dungeon broke out in chatter as everyone began brewing. They were instructed to make a relatively easy potion they had done before, but without their books this time around. Sadie and Lily had no trouble as they both had memorized the recipe from the last time they had brewed it, and so were able to talk throughout class.

"Sirius keeps looking at you!" Lily hissed, staring past Sadie at his table.

"Believe me, I know. He's not half as good at being discreet as he seems to think," she said with a smirk.

"What really happened when you two talked earlier?" Lily asked suspiciously.

"Nothing really. He asked me how I was, and said he was worried about me. And then he said if I ever needed anything I could 'call on him'," Sadie explained, making quotations in the air with her fingers.

"Oh no! I know that attitude. Did he lean on the wall? Seem like he was getting closer to you? Touch a finger under your chin?" Lily interrogated. Sadie looked taken aback.

"Come to think of it, he did all of those things," she admitted.

"This is terrible! Sadie, Sirius Black is _pursuing_ you!" Lily said, fighting to keep her voice down. Sadie dropped a glass vile and gasped as it shattered on the stone floor.


	4. Chapter 3

Sadie spent the next day or so trying to discern whether Sirius' behavior was friendly or flirting. When the Marauders were around he acted like his normal self, but when they would run into each other in the library or common room with no one else he would go out of his way to be nice to her.

"This is terrible!" she moaned to Lily one day in the bathroom. They had ducked inside between classes when they spotted the handsome foursome headed in their direction down the corridor. "I can't be worrying about something like this. I have classes to focus on."

"Then don't worry about it," Lily said simply, checking her reflection in the mirror.

"That's easy for you to say. You've had years of practice," Sadie responded bitterly. She took to examining her own reflection in the next mirror. Her dark curls were perfect as ever and her complexion had thankfully cleared near the end of the previous year. She didn't find it impossible that boys were suddenly taking an interest in her, but it was quite inconvenient. "That last thing I need is to have a lovesick puppy shadowing my every footstep," she added, pinning her bangs to the side. "I just got out of a relationship, the last thing I want is to jump into another one."

"Alright, I'm sure they've gone by now. Where would you like to spend our free period?" Lily asked, sweeping past the subject.

"I was going to go sit out by the lake and work on the Herbology report we have due next week. I think I have most of my argument worked out, but it's difficult trying to make a case as to the most beneficial use of tentacula leaves," Sadie explained as they picked up their bags and made their way for the door. Sadie pushed her weight against the wood and opened it slowly, but accidentally hit someone in the process.

"Oh I'm so sorry!" she exclaimed, helping them pick up their belongings which had scattered across the floor.

"It's fine, Sadie. How many times have I made a mess of your things?" Remus pointed out with a chuckle. Sadie looked up at him silently.

"Where are you off to Remus?" Lily asked, attempting to smooth over Sadie's silence.

"Oh, the library. This tentacula essay isn't going to write itself, you know," he explained. "What about you?"

"I haven't decided. Sadie's going out by the lake, but I'd end up getting distracted so I think I'll just take over a corner in the common room," Lily explained. Remus grinned.

"Right, well I'd better get going," he said quickly, and left in the direction of the library.

"So you still haven't talked to him?" Lily asked, repositioning her bag's strap on her shoulder.

"It's not that I haven't talked to him…I'm just not sure what to say anymore," Sadie admitted sadly.

The truth was she missed Remus. He had been her best guy friend at Hogwarts, quite possibly her best friend out of anyone. They always worked on their essays together, would help each other with problems, and possibly most importantly, gave each other advice on dating matters. That was more of Remus giving her advice, because when she actually thought about it, Remus never dated anyone. He always talked about this girl he really liked, perhaps even loved, but he never told her who it was or what she looked like.

Sadie stopped by the kitchens on her way out and took a flask of pumpkin juice and an apple. Once outside she found her favorite beech tree and took out her essay, reading over what she had already written. Every now and then she would scratch out a word or sentence to be rewritten.

Remus sighed, staring out a window that overlooked the lake, knowing Sadie was sitting on its shoreline and wishing he had the nerve to go down and confess everything. But instead, he pulled the piece of parchment in front of him closer and held his quill hesitantly, trying to think of what to write next.

"'_For thy_ _sweet love remember'd such wealth brings, That then I scorn to change my state with kings_'? What is this?" Sirius asked, reading over Remus' shoulder. Remus quickly folded the parchment and put it away.

"It's none of your business," Remus said quickly, packing up his things.

"Don't tell me you wrote that rubbish," Sirius said with a laugh.

"Of course not, it's Shakespeare," Remus answered.

"Ah, so you're sending that to a lady? 'Bout time," Sirius said, punching his shoulder. Remus rolled his eyes and swung his bag over his shoulder, leaving Sirius alone in the library. Sirius glanced out the window and saw a rather large group of girls were walking along the lake and immediately ran his fingers through his dark hair and straightened his robes. As he sauntered through the doorway he began to devise an excuse for going down to the lake.

Sadie sat under her tree, glaring silently at the group of twittering fourth years girls who could talk of nothing else but the Marauders. She sighed and attempted to go back to her work, but an owl landed suddenly beside her. She started slightly but noticed it was holding out its leg with a letter addressed to her. She untied it gingerly and stroked it's feathers.

"I'm sorry, I haven't got anything for you," she insisted when it stared up at her expectantly. It clicked its beak unhappily and flew off. Sadie opened the letter and gasped.

_Dearest Sadie,_

_ 'When in disgrace with fortune and men's eyes,_

_ I all alone beweep my outcast state,_

_ And trouble deaf Heaven with my bootless cries,_

_ And look upon myself, and curse my fate,_

_ Wishing me like to one more rich in hope,_

_ Featur'd like him, like him with friends possess'd,_

_ Desiring this man's art, and that man's scope,_

_ With what I most enjoy contented least._

_ Yet in these thoughts myself almost despising,_

_ Haply I think on thee, - and then my state,_

_ Like to the lark at break of day arising_

_ From sullen earth sings hymns at heaven's gate,_

_ For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings_

_ That then I scorn to change my state with kings.'_

_You are more beautiful than the sunset and more loving than anyone I've ever known. I want nothing more than to tell you who I am but I can't bring myself to that just yet. But I need you to know how amazing I think you are, and how incredibly perfect you are for me. Just know that somewhere out there someone is completely in love with you right under your nose. Wait for me._

_ With much adoration,_

_ You're secret admirer_

Sadie sat in shocked silence. She had never received a letter anything like that, let alone from a secret admirer. She quickly gathered her things.

"Well, hello there fair maiden," Sirius called out, making his way for her tree. Sadie rolled her eyes.

"Hello Sirius. I'm really sorry but I have to be somewhere," she said shortly.

"You're so quick to shrug off a potential suitor," he said teasingly, leaning up against the tree trunk and crossing his arms.

"Oh please, Sirius, you wouldn't know the first thing about courting me," she laughed. She flashed him a quick smile in farewell and turned her back on him to make for the castle.

"'_For thy sweet love remember'd such wealth brings, That then I scorn to change my state with kings,_'" he recited, making her stop in her tracks. "I've heard the ladies like Shakespeare," he added. Sadie turned around slowly. Her mind was buzzing as she put two and two together.

"Sirius…how did you know?" she asked awestruck.

"Well, you know. He was the ultimate romantic, even if he was a muggle," he said with his usual cockiness.

"That's my favorite sonnet. Did you write me this letter?" she asked, holding it up between them.

"Er…yes! Yes, that was me," he said, glancing at it.

"Thank you," she said quietly, suddenly shy.

"Sadie, would you like to have dinner with me this weekend in Hogsmeade?" he asked, taking a step closer to her. She looked up at him for a moment before nodding her head.

"Sure. I'll see you around, then," she said, heading for the castle and glancing back at him with a grin. Sirius smirked in triumph.

"That'll teach them, telling me Sadie would never agree to a date," he said, strutting down the beach toward the fourth years.

Sadie went straight up to Gryffindor Tower and sat with Lily, slamming the letter on the table over her friend's essay. Lily gave her a disapproving look before taking up the letter and reading it through. When she got to the end her eyes widened and she looked up at Sadie.

"Who is it from?" she asked instantly.

"If they wanted me to know for sure they would have signed it, don't you think?" Sadie asked, taking it back and looking over the handwriting again.

"Well do you have any ideas?" Lily asked, as Remus entered quietly outside their notice. She smiled when he saw the letter in Sadie's hands.

"I mean…well Sirius just appeared after I got the letter, and then recited the last two lines of the sonnet. And then when I asked him about it, he said he wrote it…" Sadie said slowly. Lily gave her a disbelieving look.

"I highly doubt Sirius could write something like that," Lily said skeptically.

"I did too. But it was too much of a coincidence for me to ignore it. Anyway, I guess I'll find out this weekend," she said, putting the letter in her bag.

"Don't tell me you're going to go on a date with him," Lily said with a sigh.

"Well, it's one date. It's not like I'm agreeing to marry him. And you never know, he could surprise me. I'm trying to give him the benefit of the doubt here," Sadie said, picking up her bag and going up to get her books for her next class from her room.

Remus stared after her and felt as though someone had punched him in the stomach.


	5. Chapter 4

"Moony, you have to tell her you wrote that letter." James was watching Sirius attempt to put his arm around Sadie's waist as they walked into the Great Hall together and chuckled as she whipped her arm back to smack his chest. "At least she isn't letting him show public affection."

"James, what do you want me to do? Tell her he's been lying? That would only upset her more. I don't want her to hate me and Sirius," Remus said, watching the two of them as Sirius slapped her backside and ran out of reach as she swiped for him, making her giggle. "I just want her to hate _him_," he added in disgust. James sighed.

Over the past several weeks Sadie and Sirius had been on a dozen or so dates, and Sirius had taken to going out of his way to be near her. He waited for her in the mornings to go down to breakfast, sat with her at lunch and dinner, and began joining her in the library to do his homework. While she was beginning to have a positive influence on his work ethic, Remus found no other constructive aspect to them spending time together. His only ray of hope was that she would not agree to be his girlfriend, no matter how often or extravagantly he asked. The downside to this, however, was that it only made him more determined; Sirius was not used to girls rejecting him, and whenever one did it became a chase he would not easily give up.

Remus sighed and put his head in his hands. Just as he did he felt someone collapse onto the bench next to him and was unhappy to discover it was Sirius himself, grinning from ear to ear.

"She's a feisty one, isn't she?" Sirius said with a laugh, filling his plate with eggs and sausages. Remus kept his head down and James shifted uncomfortably. "What's wrong with the two of you?"

"Just tired," James said, excusing the both of them. Sirius shrugged and began shoveling his breakfast into his mouth with abandon.

"So you two found dates for the Masquerade yet?" Sirius asked, his mouth full.

"There's this fifth year who's taken to following me around. I figured if Lily says no again, I can take a chance on her," James said distantly, watching Lily sweep through the Great Hall. "Good morning Evans," he called. She glanced over her shoulder and waved carelessly in acknowledgment.

"Ah, see that? She noticed you. I think you're getting through to her mate. What about you, Moony?" Sirius asked, directing his question at Remus, who lifted his shoulders briefly.

"I've got a few girls in mind but I'm not banking on any of them agreeing," Remus said sullenly. Sirius went back to his food, but he couldn't ignore James' glare. He had asked James what had been wrong with Remus after the few couple of weeks that Sirius and Sadie started dating. But James would only tell Sirius to talk to Remus, something Sirius was sure he wouldn't enjoy doing.

"Let's head out, we don't want to be late," James said, as students all around them began to gather their things.

The three of them met up with Peter in the corridor and made their way down to the potions dungeons. They stood silently with the chattering crowd outside the classroom, waiting for Professor Slughorn to admit them inside. Remus stood as far from Sirius as possible, which conveniently gave him a clear view of Sadie and Lily. He loved to fill his eyes with her, loved everything about her; the way she propped her ever-present extra books on one hip, the way her hair curled loosely, the way she laughed. The list was endless. He found himself smiling in spite of everything, until he noticed Sirius staring at her as well. Except his stare was less loving, and more like a predator observing its prey.

"Can you believe I'm dating that?" he asked, pushing a thumb in her direction and not bothering to keep his voice down. Sadie's cheeks turned pink and the girls in the crowd either shot her loathing glances or stared longingly at Sirius. Remus sighed, but felt his heart leap when Sadie caught his eye and shrugged in a can-you-believe-him? way and motioned for him to follow her away from the crowd. He looked around and slipped away from his friends.

"Remus, I hate not talking to you. I'm really sorry about how things have worked out between you and me lately, and I know it's my fault and I feel terrible. Can we please be friends again? Like before?" she asked sadly, hugging her books to her chest.

"I was always your friend. This stupid little fight is just that: stupid. I was ready to forget it the moment it happened," Remus assured her, placing a hand on her shoulder.

"Oh Remus, I don't deserve you," Sadie joked, putting her books down and throwing her arms around his shoulders. Remus hugged her back tightly, closing his eyes and breathing in her strawberry perfume. The kind she only wore when she was trying to make an impression.

They could hear the rest of the class begin to shuffle into the classroom so Remus reluctantly let her go and helped her gather her books.

"Let's hang out tonight, just like old times," Sadie suggested, walking with him to the door.

"Just you and me?" Remus asked hopefully.

"Yes, just you and me. Sirius is beginning to smother me, and besides I'm overdue for a study date with my favorite Marauder," she said winking and flashing him a smile. Remus let her walk into the classroom in front of him and he watched her take her seat with Lily. He sat down at his usual table with Peter distractedly and opened his book to the wrong page without realizing.

"Remus, what's wrong with you? You look like you've been slipped some love potion or something," Peter said, his tone slightly worried. He took the liberty of opening Remus' book to the correct page for him since he was staring off dreamily.

"What did you do to him?" Lily asked, looking over her shoulder at Remus.

"Nothing!" Sadie insisted, trying to keep her voice down so as not to interrupt Professor Slughorn's lecture.

"He looks like a lost, pathetic little puppy," Lily said, giving Sadie a sideways glance.

"All I did was apologize and suggest that he and I have a study date tonight like we used to. I'm tired of fighting with him for no reason. And why are you getting so upset at me? _You're _the one who's always saying how Remus is my best friend and that I should make up with him," Sadie shot back mockingly.

"Yes, make up with him, not put him under a love spell," Lily insisted, copying a formula down into her notebook.

"Don't be silly, Remus and I are friends. There's…there's nothing romantic between us," Sadie said dismissively, but Lily could hear the small hint of regret in her friend's voice.

That night at dinner Sadie and Lily were talking about their latest Ancient Runes lecture when Sirius jumped onto the bench between them.

"Hello ladies," he said brightly, pulling an empty plate toward him and filling it with food. Both girls rolled their eyes and continued to eat their dinner in silence. "How are you this evening my dulcet darling?" he asked, slipping an arm around Sadie's waist and kissing her neck.

"Sirius, I wish you wouldn't. You know we're not officially together," Sadie said, pushing his arm away.

"Yes, but a girl can easily change her mind. Come now, don't you want this all to yourself?" he asked, gesturing to his torso. She giggled and went back to her food. "So what's the plan for this evening? Are we in the common room or the library?" he asked, taking a bite of steak and potatoes.

"Actually, I'm off to do some work with Remus. I haven't spent any time with him lately and I feel dreadful about it," she explained, draining her goblet. "I'll see you later," she said to the both of them, grabbing her bag and running off.

"Did she just give me the slip?" Sirius asked Lily unexpectedly, making her cough on her pumpkin juice.

"Yes I believe she did," Lily answered flatly.

"I don't think a girl has ever done that to me before. Evans, can I level with you?" he asked sincerely. Lily stared at him quietly. "I've never had so much trouble getting with a girl before. They've always just fallen at my feet, but Sadie's different."

"Yes, well she has some self-respect," Lily replied with a smirk.

"She's different. And I feel different about her. I think I'm actually starting to fall for her," Sirius confessed. Lily scoffed.

"Sirius, are you sure you're not just getting antsy because she won't 'give it to you'," Lily asked, making quotation marks with her fingers.

"No, I actually haven't thought about that at all with Sadie," he admitted honestly.

"Wow…well it sounds to me like you have a genuine crush on Sadie," Lily concluded, finishing her dinner. "If you need to have another confession session, I'll be in the common room."

Remus was waiting for Sadie at their usual table near the back of the library. He had been unsuccessfully working on an essay that was due the following week, since his thoughts were centered on someone else.

"Hey!" that someone called behind him, and he turned to see Sadie rushing toward the table breathlessly. She ruffled his hair as she usually did and took her seat across from him. "Sorry, I got held up," she explained, excusing her lateness.

"Oh really, by who exactly?" Remus asked suspiciously. Sadie smirked at him.

"Look, I know what you're thinking. Why would I get mixed up with Sirius Black, of all people? The truth is, I don't exactly know. I just couldn't say no without giving him a chance," she admitted, shrugging.

"You always were the little saint. You give anyone and everyone a chance. I bet you'd even go on a date with Lucius Malfoy if he asked," Remus teased. Sadie scoffed.

"Please, you couldn't pay me enough to date that snake," she said scathingly.

"Well at least you're doing something smart. You aren't getting officially involved with Sirius," Remus said kicking her lightly under the table.

"You're right, I'm not. That's because I'm holding out for someone else," she confessed, pulling out her Transfiguration book. Remus felt his stomach turn to knots.

"What do you mean?" he asked, trying to be casual. Sadie glanced up at him.

"Well, you know how I got that letter from a secret admirer? Well the more time I spend with Sirius the more it's obvious he didn't write it. Do you really think he would write a note to a girl and quote Shakespeare? I figure as long as he and I aren't official that means I'm still free to be swept up by someone else. So I'm waiting for my secret admirer," she said with a dreamy smile. Remus dropped his quill.

_I'm such an idiot…I should have just kept writing to her_, he thought, mentally slapping himself on the forehead.

"That seems…smart," he answered dumbly. He grimaced at his lack of eloquence and buried his nose in the nearest book. Sadie giggled slightly at him but turned her attention to her own work.

Remus stole glances of her while they worked. She let her hair fall in a curtain over her shoulder and she would bite her bottom lip as she read and copied notes. He loved the way she rolled her sleeves up to her elbow and loosened her tie to be more comfortable. After all these years she still drove him crazy with the littlest things. She looked up at him at that moment and smiled encouragingly, shaking her head as she went back to her work. He smiled too and looked down at his blank parchment.

_Sadie, studying with you is bad for my work ethic,_ he thought playfully, resting his head in his hand and tickling his chin with the end of this quill.

Suddenly they were interrupted when Sirius appeared from behind a bookshelf, flipping through the pages of a dusty tome and taking a seat beside Sadie. They both stared at him for a moment before he looked up and smiled.

"I hope you don't mind if I join you. Sadie said you were having a study date and I thought it would be fun if we all did some work together," he said, slipping an arm over her shoulders. Sadie sighed impatiently and began to pack up her things.

"I'll see you later, Remus. I really should be getting to bed," she said giving him a smile. With one last meaningful look at Sirius she left.

They were both silent for a few moments, until Remus began to pack his own things. He folded a letter quickly and put it in his back pocket before slapping Sirius on the shoulder and leaving him. He knew his friend was disappointed but couldn't find anything to say. After all, that was exactly the reaction he wanted Sadie to give him.

Sadie went straight up to the common room and found Lily in her usual corner.

"I don't get it. Why can't he just leave me alone for _one_ night? Why is that so hard?" she asked, sitting down heavily.

"It's because he actually likes you," Lily said from behind her Encyclopedia Mythica.

"Yes, well…still. He doesn't need to smother me. I like spending time with Remus, I miss Remus. And Sirius knows this. So why, on the one night I decide to spend some time with him, does Sirius show up?" Sadie vented.

"I don't have an answer for you," Lily said again.

"I'm not looking for answers, I just need you to be my friend and listen," Sadie snapped. Lily put down her book and gave her an apologetic look.

"I'm sorry. Why don't you just go to bed, you've had a long day," she suggested, placing a hand over her friend's. Sadie nodded.

"You're right. I'll see you in the morning, then," she said, getting up to leave. She bent down and hugged Lily to show there were no ill feelings, and went up to their empty dorm. It was still quite early so the other girls were either studying or off in a broom cupboard with a boy. Sadie changed into her pajamas and went to brush her teeth. When she came back there was an owl sitting on her bed holding a note in its beak.

"Why hello there," she said taking the letter. "I'm sorry, I haven't got anything for you," she said when it didn't fly off. The owl ruffled its feathers and flew off to the Owlry through the open window. Sadie watched it go, but then opened her letter excitedly. The handwriting was messy and cramped, and she remembered it from her secret admirer's first letter. But there was something else familiar about it she couldn't place.

_Dear Sadie,_

_I'm sorry I haven't written you in a while, my thoughts have been occupied. I hope you don't doubt my feelings because of that; however I want you to know that it breaks my heart every time I see you with that other man. My only solace is that you have not agreed to be with him exclusively. _

_Please go alone to the Masquerade. I will be waiting for you._

_With all the love that I possess,_

_You're secret admirer_

Sadie felt butterflies in her stomach. She would finally meet him, at the Halloween Masquerade. She gingerly folded the letter, placed it in a box in her trunk, and went to bed. It took her a while to get to sleep because she was imagining romantic first meetings with her secret love.


	6. Chapter 5

Sadie's eyes fluttered open as sunlight streamed through her window. She yawned and sat up in bed, kicking back her blankets and resting her feet on the cold hardwood floor. It was a bright Saturday morning and she knew every girl in Hogwarts would be twittering with excitement all day as the long awaited Halloween Masquerade was to be that night.

She tip-toed across the room and opened the window to let the crisp autumn air wash over her body, turning her skin into goose flesh.

"Rise and shine, Lily," she sang, jumping onto her friend's bed.

"Hmmm," Lily groaned, pulling the blanket over her head. "Close the window, its freezing!" her muffled voice whined.

"Oh come on, let's go down to breakfast," Sadie said giggling. She went to brush her teeth and when she returned Lily was sitting up in bed looking groggy and confused. "Let's go Sleeping Beauty," Sadie coaxed, pulling Lily to her feet.

"Har har," Lily said with sarcasm. She brushed her teeth as well and after they both had grabbed sweaters and pulled their hair into ponytails to hide their bed-head they made their way to the Great Hall. The corridors were filled with students in their pajamas, the girls twittering breathlessly and the boys shooting them annoyed glances from the noise.

"Masquerade's tonight," Lily pointed out unnecessarily.

"Mm-hm," Sadie agreed, hiding her yawn in her sleeve. When they entered the Great Hall it was surprisingly full. Owls would swoop in and out bringing last minute packages to students for their preparations. Sadie and Lily sat down with a few of their other friends and began to fill their plates.

"Can you believe all the fuss everyone is making about this?" their one friend Julie asked, as a group of young Hufflepuffs rushed by and knocked her shoulder accidentally.

"Well it is one of the most anticipated school events," Beth pointed out. Melanie laughed.

"It's an excuse for young couples to rub against each other without being reprimanded," she shot back.

"Excuse her, she wasn't asked by anyone to go," Beth said, patting Melanie's arm.

"Well come with me, then!" Sadie offered, spearing a strawberry with her fork and taking a bite out of it. Lily shook her head and gave her an amused look. "What?" Sadie asked, knowing her friend meant her unladylike manners.

"What, just to be dumped for your mystery man? No thanks," Melanie grinned, going back to her meal.

"Come on, you could find a mystery man of your own," Sadie tempted. At that moment the four Marauders came in together. The chatter died away slightly as most of the girls in the room caught sight of them. It was common knowledge that none of them had dates, an unusual occurrence. Sadie looked at them with her friends until Sirius caught her eye. She looked away quickly and suddenly became very interested in the orange pitcher.

"Sadie, Sirius is staring at you," Julie hissed as the four boys walked by.

"Yes, well, he's probably upset with me since I turned down his invitation," Sadie admitted, hiding her eyes behind her hand.

"Gosh, Sadie. I knew you were holding out for this secret admirer, but to turn down Sirius Black? You must be crazy," Beth said fully surprised.

"I'd rather be crazy than be tied down by him at the moment," Sadie held, pouring a cup of tea and holding it to warm her hands.

"Oh look, here comes Athena," Lily said, pointing up to the ceiling. Sadie looked and sure enough her loyal barn owl was gliding to her carrying a heavy package.

"What is that?" she asked curiously as her owl landed on the table before her. She untied the package and gave Athena the rest of her toast. The owl nuzzled her hand affectionately then took her scraps and flew off to the Owlry. "It's from my mother," Sadie said after reading the label. She smiled and shook her head as she opened the package and gasped. She pushed aside a vintage gown and revealed a small tiara and an old, delicate looking mask. Lily picked up the note and read it aloud.

"Dear Sadie, I hope you like these gifts. You're father and I just wanted this night to be extra special for you since it will be your last. Take care of the jewels, they've been in the family for generations, and it would break my heart to lose them. I'm sorry I couldn't be there, please take a photo and send it along to us. And remember to keep an eye on your brother and sisters. I'm counting on you to make an example for them. Lots of love, Mama and Papa," Lily finished, folding the letter again and putting it aside. Sadie looked down the table and noticed her twin siblings staring at her. _Sorry_ she mouthed at her sister specifically, who's expression betrayed how jealous she was.

"Well I'm going to head back up to the common room and maybe get some work done," Sadie announced, finished her breakfast quickly and grabbing her package.

"Oh, come on! It's Saturday, and the day of the Masquerade. Come to Hogsmeade with us and get your hair done!" Beth whined, tugging on her sleeve. Sadie laughed.

"I'm not really the type to get my hair done," Sadie confessed.

"Yes, all those years growing up in high society have helped you learn to do it yourself," Melanie joked. Sadie rolled her eyes. Her friends always liked to make jabs at her family's prestige. They said it was unnatural that they should be so well off and not be hounded by Death Eaters, or worse be a part of them.

"It'll be fun," they all insisted, so Sadie eventually gave up.

"Alright, I'll go with you. When are we leaving?" she said as they all cheered quietly.

"We're planning on meeting after lunch," Julie said excitedly. "But, we're all on the planning committee, so we need to help decorate. Will you help?" she asked skillfully. Sadie sighed and hung her head.

"You know I'm no good at decorating," she whined slowly walking away.

"What are you talking about? You're the best at it!" Julie called after her. Sadie turned and made a motion to say she hadn't heard her, and then waved cheerily.

Later that night the girls returned to Hogwarts mildly tired after fighting with the crowds in Hogsmeade. It seemed every girl at Hogwarts had gone to get last minute things and to make hair and other appointments.

"These boys better appreciate what we go through for them," Beth said, disgruntled. They all rushed to Gryffindor Tower, hoping to avoid an awkward run-in with any guys. They all looked pretty ridiculous with their hair done and wearing old flannel and button-down shirts.

"Gallantry," Sadie gave the password quickly and the group rushed into the common room.

"Did you see the way she was just prancing around like nothing's wrong? It makes me sick!" they heard a boy practically shout. Sadie stared straight at Sirius, feeling her stomach disappear. Suddenly the other Marauders, who he apparently was ranting to, went silent. Sirius turned around and his face fell. The two of them stood facing each other for a tense moment before Sirius turned on his heel and walked to the boys' dorms. James, Remus and Peter all followed him up, giving them apologetic looks. James stopped and put a hand on her shoulder.

"He's just a little upset. He'll be fine in a little while," he assured her, before disappearing up the stairs.

Sadie took her hair out when she got up to her room. That insignificant meeting with Sirius in the common room had a surprisingly large impact on her. She felt ridiculous with the extravagant up-do the woman at the salon had done, and she was now uninterested in going to the Masquerade at all.

As she stared at her reflection she felt tears in her eyes and they began to fall down her cheeks. At that moment she heard a knock at the window and she nearly jumped out of her skin when she saw Remus. With her heart pounding in her ears she unlatched the window and he climbed inside, pulling his broom behind him.

"Are you okay?" he asked sincerely. Sadie smiled at him; he was always so kind.

"I'm fine. Thanks, Remus," she said, sitting on her bed.

"Bullocks. You know, you're a really terrible liar," he said sitting next to her. Sadie giggled.

"I know. I don't know why he gets to me like that, I really don't have those feelings for him," Sadie confessed, feeling the flood gates open around Remus.

"How do you know?" he asked politely.

"I've just thought about it a lot. I don't dislike him, I like spending time with him and I know he's a great guy. He's just not for me," she said.

"Hm," was all Remus thought to say to break the silence. He leaned back and rested his arm behind her on the bed. Sadie felt her heartbeat quicken. She was also hyperaware of the fact that their knees had been touching ever since he sat down, something she had never paid attention to before that night.

"I think I might just stay in tonight," she said, standing up quickly to break their contact and moving toward her closet.

"What? Why?" Remus asked quickly, sitting up.

"I'm not really in the mood anymore… Looks like my mother sent her dress for nothing," she said sadly, fingering the delicate skirt of an elegant vintage gown.

"I'll stay with you then," Remus insisted, standing up and joining her.

"You really don't have to do that. Go and enjoy yourself," Sadie said turning away from him.

"Sadie –" he said, catching her by the wrist and pulling her back around. Sadie kept her eyes down but when he didn't say anything she raised them slowly until they met his. But just as he took a quiet step closer to her the door burst open and they jumped apart.

"Remus! What are you doing here?" Lily asked loudly.

"Sorry Lily! I'll see you around Sadie," he said, grabbing his broom and heading towards the window.

Both girls watched him disappear into the night sky before Lily turned to Sadie and smirked.

"What?" Sadie asked innocently, turning to her bed and lying down.

"I saw that. You two were inches from kissing." Lily sat down next to her and tickled her sides. Sadie shrieked.

"I don't know what you're talking about!" Sadie yelled, fighting her off.

"Come off it. I've been saying for years how perfect the two of you are, you just refuse to admit it. And I've seen the way you've been acting lately. You're starting to like him, I can tell," Lily said, giving up the fight and moving to the vanity they shared. Sadie was quiet for a while.

_Maybe Lily's right…_ she thought to herself, imagining herself with Remus. He had always been around, and while she wasn't sure of his feelings for her, she couldn't deny that he had caught her attention in a different way lately.

"Regardless, he always goes on about this mystery girl he has a crush on, and—"

"How do you know it's not you?" Lily interrupted.

"And, I have a secret admirer to meet at the Masquerade," Sadie pushed on, choosing to ignore Lily's question. "Come on, I have to figure out how to do my hair now that I've wasted my money by taking down that ridiculous style."

When normally they both would be ready in a matter of minutes they took their time tonight, experimenting with different styles and makeup ideas. Sadie settled on simply braiding her bangs and pinning them just above her right ear; Lily had kept the style she got at the salon. By the time they were both ready, and had tied on their masks, the Masquerade had been going for almost half an hour.

As they descended the stairway to the common room they giggled excitedly. A few small groups still mulled about around the fire in their costumes, taking their time to go down to the dance. Sadie noticed James and Peter sitting in front of the fire in their dress robes.

"Evening, boys," she said cheerfully, running a finger across Peter's shoulders. He shuddered, but froze when he caught sight of the two of them. James had stood up as soon as he saw Lily. He cleared his throat nervously.

"You look very pretty tonight, Evans," he said, trying to sound nonchalant.

"Thanks, Potter," she said, smiling.

"So, you wouldn't happen to have a date, would you?" he asked, taking her smile as encouragement. Lily smirked playfully at him.

"I'll be sure to save you a dance," she said, cutting to the chase. She gave him one small, meaningful look before leading the way into the corridor. Sadie followed, but looked back at the pair of boys to see the most excited look she had ever seen on James' face.

"What has gotten into you tonight?" she asked, taking Lily's hand in both of hers. Lily shrugged, but Sadie caught the playful smile on her lips.

"He seemed so desperate, it was almost adorable. And for a messy, specky git, he's cute. So, why not? I'm turning over a new leaf," Lily said, trying to act as though agreeing to dance with her biggest enemy since their first year was no big deal. The pair of them giggled as they made their way through the dimly lit corridors, music floating from the Great Hall and becoming steadily louder with every step.


	7. Chapter 6

Sadie and Lily walked into the Great Hall staring wondrously at the decorations. The enchanted ceiling reflected a deep indigo sky dotted by twinkling stars, which were imitated by fairy lights floating in the air to give the hall a gentle glow. The four long House tables were replaced by dozens of smaller, round tables covered in scarlet or black silk, and miniature fountains covered with blooming flowers stood at the center of every one. At the near end of the hall a long table draped in scarlet silk was lined with all different kinds of food, with fountains placed artistically throughout. At the far end there was a large platform set up for the band, and a large dance floor that was already full of students in their best dress robes and intricate masks.

"It's gorgeous," Lily said breathlessly. They wandered through the crowded hall and finally found their friends sitting at a table on the edge of the dance floor.

"I must say, I like the idea of masks. There's something intriguing about not knowing who you're going to end up with," Beth said, eyeing a male figure not far off, but was dancing with another girl.

"Oh, I'm sure if you really tried, you would recognize who they were. And I'm sorry, but I don't fancy getting stuck dancing with Snape," Melanie said with a giggle.

"Hey now, he's not so bad. You just need to give him a chance," Lily defended, lightly smacking her friend's arm.

"What, so he can get grease stains on my dress? No, thank you," Melanie shot back. Lily rolled her eyes and continued to watch the dancing couples.

"So, Sadie. Where's this secret admirer of yours?" Julie asked, leaning across the table.

"You know, I don't know. I guess that's why he's a 'secret' admirer," Sadie said sarcastically. Everyone laughed. "I suppose I'll just have to keep an eye out, if that's possible. I'm not quite sure how he'll know it's me," she confessed, sitting back in her chair.

"Excuse me," a boy stammered, approaching the table. "Would you like to dance?" he asked nervously, directing his question at Beth. She flashed him a smile and took his hand in agreement. The other girls watched the pair of them disappear in the crowd.

"Wasn't that Frank Longbottom?" Lily asked, straining her neck to see over heads.

"Sure did sound like him. Wonder why he asked Beth, and not Alice," said Julie.

"To be honest, I don't think he recognized her. For all he knows, he did ask Alice to dance, poor lad. He's always so confused," Sadie pointed out, propping her elbow on the table.

Hours later, after most everyone in the Hall was full of food and drink, the band began playing again and now everyone was dancing and singing along to their up-tempo songs. Sadie found herself surrounded by her friends, and although the secret admirer was in the back of her mind, she had stopped wondering where he was a long time ago. She had even started to think she might have been better off agreeing to go with Sirius rather than spend the night alone; but once she caught sight of him snogging a fifth year girl in the corner sans mask, she scoffed and was glad to be rid of him.

The latest song ended and everyone applauded. But as the first few notes of the next song were plucked, it was clear this one was meant for couples so the majority of students made their way back to the tables for a rest. Lily and Sadie were making their way to theirs when someone tapped Lily on the shoulder.

"Evans, may I?" a familiar voice asked. Lily whirled around.

"Potter?" she asked in disbelief.

"Yes, if my memory serves me right, you agreed to save a dance for me. No better time than the present," he said, grinning. Lily's mouth hung open in surprise momentarily, but she recovered quickly.

"Yes, I did," she agreed, taking his hand and letting him lead her back to the floor. Sadie smirked and turned towards her table, but found herself facing a man's chest.

"Hello Sadie," he said gently, smiling at her. She stared up at him, mesmerized.

"Are you..?" she trailed off questioningly. He chuckled.

"Would you like to dance?" he asked her, holding out his hand for her. She took it silently, and followed him back onto the floor.

As they began to sway with the music, Sadie stared up at him, searching for a hint as to who he might be. He was tall, and she felt his muscles tense up nervously as she placed a gentle hand on his shoulder. His hand was rough, scarred and calloused under hers. He was surprisingly graceful for his height and effortlessly led her in a simple waltz. When he looked down at her she could see in his eyes that he was happy, and a grin never left his face.

"I'm happy you came alone," he said to break the silence. She laughed, but stopped when she realized it was mostly from nerves.

"Yes, well. It's not like my other option is exactly a winner," she said, nodding off in Sirius' direction. He chuckled.

"Sirius is a free spirit," the man said, nodding.

"So who are you?" Sadie suddenly uttered.

"You don't waste any time, do you?" he asked, laughing. Sadie smirked.

"I mean, a girl has a right to know," she pointed out.

"We'll see how the rest of the night goes," he said teasingly. "But I will tell you, and soon."

Sadie nodded, and settled back into her silent observation. They kept close while they danced, and when the song was over he led her to a table that was unoccupied and pulled a chair out for her.

"What a gentleman," she quipped, making him chuckle.

"You see, chivalry is not completely dead," he said, taking the seat next to her. "You look beautiful," he added, making her blush.

The two of them spent most of the night together, talking. Sadie wasn't sure who he was, and kept trying to guess, but if she was correct he never told her. Every guess she made he told her she was wrong. But despite that, they're conversation was surprisingly easy. Sadie felt completely at ease with him, so much so that it seemed like they knew each other quite well. As the hours passed the Hall began to empty, and soon enough they were the last ones out and the house elves were popping about, cleaning plates and clearing the hall.

"I guess we'd better go," she said, as a small elf skipped by pushing a broom. Her admirer took her hand and led her to the Grand staircase. Her stomach leapt as she realized she would get a clue when they were to head to their Houses. All the dormitories were in different directions, so wherever he went would tell her what House he was in. But when she looked up at him expectantly, he smirked.

"I have some more mischief to attend to tonight, so I won't be cluing you in to which House I'm in," he said, knowing she would have thought of that.

"How do you know me so well?" she asked with a chuckle; he smiled. "So I guess this is good night."

"I guess it is," he said, letting his gaze linger on her face. She noticed his eyes glance down at her lips.

"Well, goodnight," she prompted, leaning forward ever so slightly. He took her hand.

"Goodnight," he nearly whispered. He leaned in and brushed his lips against hers. Sadie kissed him back gently as he placed a hand on her waist. Her heart skipped a beat as their kiss deepened but before they got carried away he took a step back.

"Goodnight," he said again, a smile on his face. Sadie giggled at him and smiled back, making her way up the grand staircase. When she got to the landing, she turned around and saw he was still standing at the foot of the stairs, watching her leave.

"Goodnight," she said, smiling at him before disappearing down the corridor. Sadie had a skip in her step all the way to Gryffindor Tower; it felt like she was flying through the castle. The night had been almost perfect. The only way it could have been better was if she had known who the man behind the mask had been. But something was familiar in the way he kissed. It was like she knew who he was right then. But what surprised her was when their lips met, she imagined it was Remus kissing her instead.

Back in the Entrance Hall, Remus stood rooted to the spot. But inside, he felt like he was exploding. The night was everything he could have ever hoped or dreamed of. She looked beautiful, they had a great time together, and their kiss goodnight was perfect. The only hitch was she still didn't know it was him.

He shook himself out of his dream state and made way for the seventh floor. He hadn't lied when he told Sadie there was more mischief to make; he and the Marauders had purposely planned on working on the magical map they had been making of Hogwarts. The four boys were sure the girls of Gryffindor would still up awake for hours in the Common Room, reliving every romantic detail of the night. The idea of being subject to that made each of them sick, and as they didn't want to be shut up in the room they shared, they decided on the Room of Requirement.

"About time, Moony," Sirius said impatiently when Remus entered, taking off his mask.

"Sorry, I was caught up," he muttered, taking a seat in the open armchair at the table the room provided.

"Had to drag yourself out of a broom cupboard? That's alright, you're not alone. 'Ole Prongs here had quite a lovely evening with a Miss Evans," Sirius said, winking at James. He blushed but stayed quiet. "Oh don't be shy, Jamesie, it's nothing to be ashamed of."

"I'm not ashamed, I just don't want to jinx it," James said sincerely. Remus looked at him and realized he had never seen James so genuinely happy.

"Quite a night, boys, quite a night," Peter piped up, leaning back in his chair. James clapped him on the shoulder.

"You get lucky, Wormtail?" he asked with a grin.

"I had a nice night with a nice girl. That's all I'll say," he said with a smile.

"Same all around. But I do have to say, I was sad not to see Miss Hawthorne. Did any of you notice her at all?" Sirius asked, looking between James and Remus.

"I can't say I'm surprised you didn't see her, after the fuss you made in the Common Room earlier tonight," James said a little more seriously.

"Oh come on, Sadie knows I'm not as upset as I came off… Doesn't she?" Sirius asked. A worried look flashed across his face. "Moony, you two are close. Did you see her at all tonight?" Remus looked up at his friend. Slowly he shook his head.

"I didn't notice her," he lied. Sirius exhaled heavily. "Let's get off this sad topic, it doesn't fit the Marauders. How's the map coming?" Remus asked, changing the subject as tactfully as possible.

Meanwhile, Sadie found Lily when she arrived at the dormitory of the seventh year Gryffindor girls, and they immediately launched into explanations of their nights.

"Sadie, I could not have been more wrong about him. I'm sure you've noticed my opinion of him has been changing, but he really is so sweet," Lily gushed about James. Sadie smiled as she changed into her pajamas. She loved seeing her best friend so happy.

"So, what now?" Sadie asked, tying her hair into a ponytail as she sat across from Lily.

"I don't know. He asked me to Hogsmeade with him next weekend. I said I would go, so we'll just have to see what happens," she said, but Sadie noticed the glint in her eye. "So, what about you? How was your night with the secret admirer?"

"Honestly, it was perfect," she admitted, smiling. "We talked for hours, he's an amazing dancer, and he kissed me goodnight. It was wonderful."

"So do you know who it is?" Lily asked, intrigued.

"Sadly, no. He never told me, and if I guessed he lied." Lily frowned.

"Well maybe he'll tell you soon?" she suggested, trying to look for positives.

"I hope so. But it's strange, I feel like I've known him for years. I felt so comfortable. It's silly, but when we kissed I almost imagined it was Remus," Sadie confessed with a laugh, staring down at the blankets. But when she looked up Lily was giving her a strange look.

"Well… Maybe it is him," she suggested simply. Sadie stared at her.


	8. Chapter 7

A/N: Sorry updating has been taking so long. But I'm in my senior year of college, and while I love writing stories, working to finish my Psychology degree is a little more important at the moment. So I will continue to update, but it won't be very often. Please just be patient; if you really like reading this one, then put it on your story alert list, and you'll be one of the first ones to know when there's a new chapter. Otherwise, I really do appreciate that you take the time to read, and all of your comments. Hope you enjoy!

* * *

Sadie was starting to get annoyed with this secret admirer of hers. It had been almost three weeks since the Halloween masquerade, and the only trace she got of him were letters. They were beautiful, and full of promises, but she had seen neither hide nor hair of him since they had kissed goodnight on the staircase.

"I don't understand… We had a good time together, he keeps sending me the sweetest letters… Why won't he just come out and tell me who he is?" she whined at dinner one night. Lily gave her an apologetic look.

"Maybe he's just really shy?" she suggested. Sadie scoffed.

"Yes, that's quite clear as he refuses to tell me his name," Sadie said with sarcasm, resting her chin on her forearms. "Sorry, that came out meaner than I intended," she added when she saw the hurt look on Lily's face.

"It's alright. Look, I'm finished, and James and I are going to work on our Potions together, so I'll see you later," Lily said, patting Sadie's back. "And chin up, I'm sure you'll get a clue soon."

Sadie laughed. She knew she was being childish, but she was not the type to wait around the way she had been. She liked organization and efficiency, and in her mind this mess of a situation did not fall into either category. With a sigh she picked up her fork and tried to make herself eat some more of her dinner, but ended up just pushing her peas around her plate.

"Hey Sadie," a familiar voice said behind her, and she turned around to greet it with a smile.

"Remus! Sit down," she said happily, shifting in her seat to give him more room on the bench. He took the seat gratefully, still in his soaking Quidditch robes, and began to fill his plate with roast beef and potatoes.

"I'm starving, James had us out on the pitch an hour later than normal," he said before shoving a forkful of food into his mouth.

"Careful, or you'll turn into Sirius," Sadie giggled, watching him eat.

"I don't even care right now," Remus laughed. "I'm starving, and our stupid captain is just never satisfied with us."

"I'm sure you'll do great tomorrow," Sadie said, referencing the upcoming Quidditch match against Ravenclaw.

"I hope so. It seems like everyone's distracted lately though. James is always thinking about Lily, Sirius is always thinking about you, and I'm worried about making sure you don't-…" he trailed off suddenly, stuffing his face with another large fork full of food.

"Making sure I don't what?" she asked, watching him closely. He gulped.

"Making sure you don't get pestered by Sirius," he said quickly, trying to cover up his blunder. Before she could ask him something else he gave his plate his full attention. She watched him for a moment before turning to her own plate and attempting to eat again.

"Are you going to the game tomorrow?" he asked her after a while.

"Remus, come on. When have I ever missed a game?" she asked sincerely, giving him a playful look.

"I was just making sure. I didn't know if you had any special meetings planned with this secret admirer," he teased, making her laugh.

"If only. You know, all I've gotten from him since the Masquerade is letters. He's made promises that we'll see each other soon, but so far nothing," she said, and he knew she was genuinely disappointed. His stomach clenched at this.

_Remus, you need to tell her the truth soon,_ his conscious scolded. This had already played out longer than he had expected, but no matter how much he liked her he couldn't face the prospect of telling her how he felt only to be rejected. _She had a good time with you at the Masquerade,_ he reminded himself. But he still wasn't convinced it was enough.

"Well, do you have any ideas about who it might be?" he asked carefully.

"Honestly, no. He gave me close to no clues, the only fact I know for sure is how tall he is," she said, resting her cheek on her fist.

_Lily seems to think it's you, Remus. What if it is?_ she thought to herself.

"Well, maybe you'll see him again soon," Remus said hopefully, trying to plan out his next letter to her.

"I doubt it. I'm starting to lose hope. I like the letters, but that's not enough to keep me interested forever," she said, a hint of sadness in her voice. "Well, I've got to go. I'll see you later, Remus," she said, standing up and slinging her bag over her shoulder. She ruffled his hair playfully as she left, flashing him a smile.

Remus sat at the table for a few minutes, finishing his dinner and thinking. She liked who she was with that night at the Masquerade; and even though she didn't know it was him, it wasn't like he changed who he was in order to impress her. There was no reason to keep the truth from her any more. He knew it was probably the adrenaline rush from practice that was giving him this confidence, but he didn't care at this point. He needed to tell her how he felt, and there was no better time than now. Without wasting another second he rushed from the table up to Gryffindor Tower.

"Where's Sadie?" he asked as soon as he got through the portrait hole. Lily and James started when he gripped the edge of the table.

"Er… I think she's up at the Astronomy Tower. Professor Sinistra asked her to help with the first-years' lesson tomorrow night, so she wanted to brush up on her constellations. Why, what's wrong?" Lily asked, worried.

"Nothing. Absolutely nothing," he insisted, a giant grin on his face. He rushed up to the boys' dormitories.

"What on Earth was that about?" Lily asked, turning to James. James just smiled at her. "Oh, come on," she said, sitting back.

"Don't worry about it. I'm sure Sadie will tell you later anyway," James said, bending over his essay once more. Lily stared at him for a moment, before Remus rushed by again, now in clean, dry clothes.

"This isn't about what I think it's about, is it?" Lily asked cryptically. James just took her hand and kissed it.

"My dear, I have absolutely no idea what you are talking about," he replied. She smirked, but the pair of them went back to their work without another word.

Remus ran through the corridors until he found himself at the foot of the stairs to the Astronomy Tower. He took a deep breath to calm himself down before climbing up. It seemed to take longer to get to the landing of the Tower than for him to rush there from the common room. When he walked out into the night air he saw Sadie looking through her telescope at the far end of the Tower. He simply watched her for a moment as she adjusted the lens and referenced star charts. The full moon was so bright he could make out the freckles across her nose from where he stood. Before she noticed him and might get scared, he cleared his throat loudly. She jumped slightly and looked over at him.

"Remus! I'm sorry, you scared me. I didn't expect to see you out here," she said laughing. "Had the urge to look at the stars?"

"Yeah, it should be a nice night for it," he said, walking over to her with his hands behind his back. "What are you looking at now?"

"Pisces, the Fish. The Twins, if you follow astrology; or Professor Trelawny" she said laughing, moving aside to let him look through the telescope.

"Lily said you were going to be helping the Astronomy class tomorrow?" he said, looking for clarification.

"Yes, Professor Sinistra asked me earlier today. I couldn't say no, Astronomy used to be my favorite class, and I was quite good at it," she said, looking down at her charts.

"Yes, I remember," Remus said, backing away to let her readjust her lenses.

"Remus, you're always so good at remembering those types of things," she said with a laugh, moving the telescope a little and looking through. "Aha! There you are, Andromeda."

"Only when it comes to things I really care about," he said gently. Sadie straightened up and looked at him. His voice sounded like he had something important to tell her.

"Oh?" she said, prompting him to continue.

"I'm actually surprised you hadn't realized this sooner. You were always so smart and observant when it came to things like this. Granted, I was also terrified that you might figure it out…but it's probably for the best too," he said, turning his back to her and rambling.

"Remus, what are you –?"

"I'm pretty sure I love you, Sadie. Ever since the first day I met you. And not just as a sister, I love you more than you could ever imagine." Remus let out a deep breath after his confession. When he turned to her she was staring at him calmly. "Please say something," he added, not sure how to read her reaction.

"What should I say?" she asked quietly.

"I don't know. Tell me I'm a wanker for ruining our friendship, tell me you don't feel the same, if you don't. Hell, tell me you do! Anything," he pleaded, walking towards her. She cracked a smile.

"Remus, you are a wanker, but not for 'ruining our friendship'. You're a wanker for not telling me sooner," she insisted, laughing at him.

"So, you're not mad?" he asked timidly.

"Why on Earth would I be mad?" she asked incredulously.

"I don't know… I guess I'm just used to hiding it that I figured you might be upset," he said truthfully.

"That's fair… But while I'm not mad, you're not off the hook. Something tells me there's more you need to say to me," she said, taking his hand.

"And there you go, reading me like a book. Some things never change," he said, looking down at his feet. She didn't say anything so he took that as a sign to continue. "You know those letters you've been getting from a secret admirer? They're from me."

Her silence was keeping him in suspense. _She's taking this much better than I had anticipated…_ he thought to himself. After a few moments he looked up, into her face and tried to read her expression. He could definitely see she was a little hurt, probably because he kept it such a secret from her, and because he had kept her waiting. But then there was a happiness that surprised him.

"Sadie, I –" he started, but she put a finger to his lips.

"Shh. There's no point in saying anything else, because you'll just go on about how sorry you are, and honestly, I don't need to hear it," she said simply. And without another word she reached her arms around his neck and pulled him into the most amazing kiss he had ever had.

Time seemed to stand still. This was what he had only dared to dream about, but here he was, being kissed by the most beautiful, amazing girl he had ever met. He put his arms around her waist and pulled her closer, afraid that he might wake up and she would be gone; that he would realize this was all a dream. But as she leaned back and broke their kiss she smiled at him, and he knew this was real.

"Promise me you won't make me wait for you that long again," she said laughing. Remus chuckled.

"I promise," he said, wrapping his arms around her.


End file.
